Son tells inquest of his efforts to save father aged 93 after reading lamp set bed on fire
A 93-YEAR-OLD man died after his bed was set alight by a reading lamp at his home in Co Armagh, despite the efforts of his son to rescue him from the blaze, a coroner’s court has heard.
Malcolm Troughton and his wife Lillian were rescued from their burning home on Richmond Heights in Richhill on the evening of Sunday, October 18, 2015, Craigavon Coroner’s Court heard yesterday.
His wife, aged 86, managed to survive the blaze but Mr Troughton died of smoke inhalation and burns at Craigavon Area Hospital two days later.
Mr Troughton’s son, Philip, told the court that his family was alerted to the fire after his mother pressed an emergency button she carried with her.
This then alerted the emergency services, who called Mr Troughton’s family.
In a statement read out in court, Mr Troughton spoke of his efforts to save his father from the blaze.
He said: “I was at home with my family. At approximately 9.55pm I received a telephone call from my daughter, she said the smoke alarm had activated at my elderly parents’ home at Richmond Heights.
“I immediately got into my car and travelled to my parents’ home. On my arrival I went to the front door and let myself in using my own set of keys. There was a thick blanket of smoke coming from within.
“I switched the torch on on my phone and shone it into the hall but the smoke was so thick that the torch was having little effect.
“I tried to switch the hall lights on but they appeared to have tripped. I then made my way towards both my parents bedroom, which were opposite each other.
“I could hear my mother moaning. I opened the door of my father’s room but I was only able to open it approximately 30 centimetres. I could see flames coming from the bed but with the smoke I could not see my father.
“I made my way to the kitchen and filled a dish with water which I then threw on to the bed through the gap in the door.”
Mr Troughton said he made his way to the front door where he called his daughter to make sure the Fire Service was on its way. He added: “At that point I could hear them (the Fire Service) coming up the road. They then arrived a few moments later.”
Victor Spencer, group commander with NI Fire and Rescue Service, told the court the first 999 call was received at 10.25pm.
He said two firefighters with breathing apparatus and a hose entered the burning building at 10.39pm.
Mr Troughton — a retired civil servant who worked for the Department of Agriculture — was found lying behind the door with Mrs Troughton discovered in her bedroom, which was opposite her husband’s.
Mr Spencer later conducted an investigation and concluded the most likely cause of the fire was a reading lamp falling onto Mr Troughton’s bed and setting his bed clothes on fire.
Constable Trudy Davis told the court she attended the scene of the fire at 10.46pm and later saw paramedics working on two people in the property’s front garden.
The PSNI officer later found out this was Mr and Mrs Troughton.
Coroner Suzanne Anderson said: “My findings are that the deceased Malcolm Troughton died as a result of smoke inhalation and burns which he sustained when a fire was started in his bedroom.
“The fire was caused by the accidental ignition of his bed clothes when a reading lamp made contact with them.”
The deceased was born in Portadown and was said to be “well known” in the Co Armagh village.